(Posted Jan. 17, 2023)
The Madison County Spelling Bee took place on Jan. 10 at Tolles Career & Technical Center in Plain City. Kolby Thoman, an eighth-grader from London Middle School, emerged as the champion.
The competition featured 42 students in grades 5-8 from the Jonathan Alder, London, Madison-Plains, and West Jefferson school districts. All of the students participated in the written test and the oral bee. The oral bee went 12 rounds and lasted 90 minutes.
Heading into the fourth round of the bee, 12 students were still standing. In the 11th round, Thoman was the last correct speller with the word “reverberant.” He went on to win the competition in the 12th round with the word “reprisal.” Arabella Porter, a sixth-grader from West Jefferson Middle School, was the runner-up.
Written test winners
• Fifth grade (tie): Shrikar Rajasekaran, Canaan Middle School (Jonathan Alder), and Pearson Gifford from Norwood Elementary (West Jefferson)
• Sixth grade: Daniel Farmwald from Canaan Middle School
• Seventh grade: Khloee Lemon from West Jefferson Middle School
• Eighth grade (tie): Tucker Phipps from West Jefferson Middle School and Lily Talik from Jonathan Alder Junior High
Oral Round Winners by Grade Level
• Fifth grade (tie): Claire Ortlieb and Pearson Gifford, both from Norwood Elementary (West Jefferson)
• Sixth grade: Arabella Porter from West Jefferson Middle School
• Seventh grade: Izzie Duffy from West Jefferson Middle School
• Eighth grade: Kolby Thoman from London Middle School.
